some help with PHB only

[geonova]

my DM wants me to create a PHB only first level character and even though i know it's been overdone, i want to make a half-elf bard. my party normally contains an unoptimised ranger and slightly more optimised druid.
how can i be decently optimised, but mainly using buffs on the party or maybe entering combat/ being an offensive caster? i also don't mind being a face or skillmonkey as my usual rogue characters take that role.

[Firechanter]

slightly more optimised druid

Ouch, man. If that druid is played anywhere near his default effectiveness, both you and the ranger will be rather irrelevant.

Anyway, your problem is that PHB-only Bard sucks. The Bard's key combat utility is singing for Inspire Courage, but the inherent progression is weak. Normally you pump that significantly with various non-core feats, items and a spell. If you can't get any of that, your IC will hardly matter.

So if you want to go that route, your best bet is to let the druid and his pet take care of melee, and stay out of it yourself. Focus on learning spells that the Druid can't duplicate, such as Grease, Glitterdust, Blur, Haste etc. Also, Alter Self is an incredibly useful (as not to say broken) spell.

If you want my suggestion for a core-only game with a Druid in it: be a Wizard.

[Yora]

There's enough heavy meat in the front row already, so I agree with focusing on support, which is where bards really can shine. Instead of dealing out damage yourself, use your bardic music and spells to help the other ones dash out even more.
Once the ranger gets his animal companion, you have four allies who benefit from your buffs, and the druid might even throw in some summoned creatures as well. The more allies you have around, the more do your buffs make a difference.

[HunterOfJello]

Optimize your out of combat skills as best you can since your combat skills are going to be very sad and generally not too useful overall. Diplomacy, Bluff, Forgery, and those sorts of things.

At low levels you can contribute by shooting at things with a bow, but bows quickly become pretty weak and don't scale at all. Stay out of melee and try to help with the few spells you do get, although you're going to have too few too late and nowhere near often enough.


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Bards in 3.5 aren't bad, but they got a ton of support from material outside of core that boosted up their viability and effectiveness. I would strongly consider playing a Sorcerer with bard-type spells known instead or even a Sorcerer/Rogue/Arcane Trickster.

[Darrin]

my DM wants me to create a PHB only first level character and even though i know it's been overdone, i want to make a half-elf bard. my party normally contains an unoptimised ranger and slightly more optimised druid.
how can i be decently optimised, but mainly using buffs on the party or maybe entering combat/ being an offensive caster? i also don't mind being a face or skillmonkey as my usual rogue characters take that role.

Bards are proficient with whips. Take Improved Trip ASAP (use your free melee attack to... uh.. disarm? Quickdraw a pincer staff, maybe?). If it's got legs, then serve it up to the ranger and teddy-bear on the ground. Max out Craft: Alchemy. Use nets, tanglefoot bags, acid flasks, alchemist's fire (touch attacks). Use your unseen servant (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8235936&postcount=8) to carry smokesticks, drop caltrops, spread oil, and drop tindertwigs.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Bards in 3.5 aren't bad, but they got a ton of support from material outside of core that boosted up their viability and effectiveness. I would strongly consider playing a Sorcerer with bard-type spells known instead or even a Sorcerer/Rogue/Arcane Trickster.
Pretty much this. Bards really only get good when you start using non-core material-- Inspire Courage optimization in particular, but also stuff like Melodic Casting (cast spells while using your music!) and Snowflake Wardance (use Charisma for melee while using your music!). In core, the only really useful things they get are UMD and partial casting. Both are... OK, but neither is really that exciting. Given the limitations of core, an enchantment and illusion focused sorcerer with a few cross-class ranks in Perform will probably be a much stronger character overall.

But if you do run a bard... pump Charisma and focus on the casting/party face role. Use Spell Focus to help make up for your lower-level slots. Max out UMD, and try to maintain a library of scrolls. Grab a few wands for staying power.